After the Titan

After the Titan submersible imploded last week, Matthew Gavin Frank’s journey to the depths with Karl Stanley, a friend of Stockton Rush’s, took on a new meaning. (Frank rode in Stanley’s sub in February of this year; his essay, in which Frank meditates on the eternal dangers and allure of deep-sea exploration, went online the day after the OceanGate sub went missing.) He discusses Stanley’s warnings to Rush, mass fear, and whether he regrets his experience.* Subscribe to Harper’s for only $16.97: harpers.org/save* “Submersion Journalism,” Matthew Gavin Frank’s essay in the July issue of Harper’s* The New York Times piece which mentions Stanley’s objections to the Titan* [8:46] Submersible enthusiasts ignore the all-encompassing danger of the sea* [13:57] The psyche of a submersible enthusiast vs. the psyches of the rest of us* [16:13] “There is a malign quality to this certain and particular breed of wonder.”* [19:32] The Titan tapped into “a fuse of our greatest, fearful hits.”* [20:31] How the countdown aspect made us “keenly aware of how much closer we are to our own deaths”* [22:38] Joking out of love, joking out of spite, and roasting someone after they’ve died* [25:53] The media’s endless quest for ratings* [32:15] “If there is such a thing as an expert in risk assessment in one-off, uncertifiable, deep-sea manned vehicles, my resume is hard to beat.”* [35:28] Going for a walk, as an antidote to submersible addiction This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit harpersmagazine.substack.com